Jordan Says It's Willing To Make ISIS Hostage Swap

With the deadline ISIS set to execute two foreign hostages nearing, government officials from both of the hostages' home countries signaled a deal might be in place to save them — or at least, a willingness to make a deal.

Over the weekend, the militants in Iraq and Syria announced it executed Japanese security contractor Haruna Yukawa. ISIS still held freelance journalist Kenji Goto and a Jordanian fighter pilot shot down in December.

In exchange for freeing Goto and the pilot, ISIS demanded Jordan release attempted suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi, who was on death row in Jordan.

Article Continues Below

Early Wednesday morning, Al Jazeera began reporting both a Japanese and Jordanian foreign deputy minister said a possible deal was close.

"We don't know the specific details, but we do know that we are getting very close now — uncomfortably close to the deadline,"CNN's Will Ripley said.

A high-ranking member of Jordan's parliament already told Bloomberg the country would not release al-Rishawi for Goto alone, which is likely why pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh is now apparently part of the hostage swap negotiations.

The BBC pointed out ISIS's demands put Jordan in what it called a dreadful position. Negotiate with terrorists in your backyard and you set a precedent that's very difficult to back up.

The network's security correspondent said, "Yet at the same time many Jordanians don't support their country's role in US-led air strikes on IS positions. They want their captured pilot to come home alive and for Jordan to stay out of the fight against IS."